The XR Week Peek (2023.09.19): Unity’s community is rioting, Pico 5 leaked, and more!

It’s been kind of a crazy week! The drama about Unity’s new pricing models has set the whole game development community on fire, while we had an unexpected leak about the Pico 5 and some updates on the Apple Vision Pro. There are some important pieces of news to know about and you are in the right place to read them!

Top news of the week

Unity’s new pricing model faces a huge backlash

With an unexpected move, Unity has changed its pricing model for all its users, migrating from a per-seat subscription system to a per-install system. Long story short, all games that manage to have more than a certain number of downloads and revenues are subject to a per-install fee. In the case of Unity Personal, the thresholds are 200,000 downloads and 200,000 in revenues, and the fee is $0.20 per install. In case the team uses Unity Pro or Enterprise, the thresholds grow in size, and the per-install fee lowers, decreasing with the number of installs: for instance, if a team is on Unity Enterprise, it pays just $0.01 per install if it has more than 1M installs per month.
 
 After the announcement was made, the game development community (including the VR one) didn’t just backlash, it totally rioted against this decision. The reasons of us rioters (because yes, I’m fully on the protesting side) are mostly:

• A similar change in pricing for products already on the market and/or that are already in development is completely unfair. It should regard only new products, not the ones already on the market: for them, Unity was chosen by the developers because was also convenient on the pricing side
• A similar abrupt change, after Unity told in the past it couldn’t happen, shows that the current management can’t be trusted, because it may change all the conditions it operates on at its will in whatever moment
• Some categories of games, especially hypercasual, free-to-play, and so on, live out of a huge number of installs. They are going to be hit very hard by this new pricing model
• It’s a model that “punishes” games for their success: the more a game is successful, the more the creator has to pay. And this $0.2 is to be added to all the other taxes we creators already have on the stores
• There’s no reliable way Unity can detect the number of installs of a game. Unity answered on Twitter they have their way of doing that, but they didn’t explain it, which makes me think that either the system is unreliable, or it operates on data it shouldn’t collect
• There are a lot of gray zones regarding what “number of installs” means: does a pirated version of a game count as an “install”? If the user downloads, deletes, and re-downloads a game, is it an install? And so on…

I’ve found a very interesting thread on Twitter written by someone from Andressen-Horwitz that explains what possibly can be the reasons behind this choice by Unity. Probably the hit that Apple’s privacy policies had on Unity Ads, Unity’s main source of revenues, forced Unity to find new sources of revenues. And the prediction that AI is going to shrink the game studios’ size, making a per-seat model less efficient, has driven the management to go for this business model.

The community reacted to this news in a very angry way. Furthermore the news that Unity CEO, John Riccitiello, may have sold Unity stocks before the announcement, was like gasoline on the fires of the protests. Some people are migrating to Unreal Engine or Godot. Others have stopped using Unity Ads, Unity’s main source of revenue. Others have even threatened the safety of the employees. Others are working on legal actions. Many journalists talked negatively about this news. The posts on social media and on the blogs of gaming studios and platforms (including SideQuest) in which people express their disappointment are countless. The news spread everywhere: I’ve even found references to it even on some websites dedicated to memes. We are all fighting this battle because many of us creators of games and VR apps are using Unity, and so a lot of the future of our ecosystem depends on this.
 
 The outcry was so big that today Unity published a Tweet stating that it has listened to our feedback and will publish a new update on the pricing model in a couple of days (The tweet had more than 9M views, to show you how this topic is very important for many people). This is a small win for us. Now let’s keep fighting for our rights: the unity is our strength.

More info (Official blog post by Unity)
More info (Unity raising its prices)
More info (Twitter thread explaining the reasons behind this change)
More info (Developers working on lawsuits against Unity)
More info (SideQuest issues a statement against Unity)
More info (Ars Technica’s editorial about Unity)
More info (GamesIndustry.biz’s editorial about Unity)
More info (GameDevloper.com’s editorial about Unity)
More info (New World Note’s editorial about Unity)
More info (Unity rethinking its decision)

Other relevant news

Pico 5 Controllers appear in a leaked image

Upload VR has just leaked an image of what looks like the VR controllers of a new headset by Pico, claiming that they have been found in Chinese social media.
 
 There are a few interesting details about this story:

• A new headset, probably dubbed Pico 5, is coming
• The controllers do not have rings, so they most probably are similar to the Touch Plus Controllers associated with the Quest 3. This makes us speculate that Pico may have “taken inspiration” from the whole Quest 3 and will launch a similar device
• Pico is launching a new headset and this is great to increase the competition in the market. After the heavy scrutiny on Bytedance by the American government, we were afraid that Pico may have disinvested in VR, while it is keeping investing in it and even launching a new headset. This is amazing news for the whole ecosystem

I’m personally very happy about this leak. And you?

More info

Apple unveils new details about the Vision Pro ecosystem

At the recent Apple Event, the Vision Pro was not the main focus, but many interesting pieces of news about it have been announced.
 
 First of all, Tim Cook stated that the development of the device is proceeding in time, and the expected launch date is still “early 2024”. Almost all the apps for iPhone and iPad should run on the device, and this means that all the games, like Death Stranding or Assassin’s Creed Mirage, that have an iPad app, are eligible to be played on a huge screen on the Vision Pro, too.
 
 The new iPhone 15 was launched, and its high-tier models can shoot spatial videos for the Vision Pro. This is something many of us predicted correctly: Apple showed how the Vision Pro can record volumetric videos, but in some contexts, this may feel cringe. Now people will be able to shoot those videos also using an iPhone, which seems more natural, and then enjoy the videos on the Vision Pro headset.
 
 The new Airpods Pro model, instead, will support “ultra-low latency” lossless audio from Apple Vision Pro, becoming the to-go accessory when you want some privacy on what you are doing with your XR headset. These two pieces of news make us see how Apple is doing its usual amazing work of integrating a new product with the rest of the Apple ecosystem, giving always more capabilities to the device.
 
 Last but not least, now the Apple Watch supports a “double tap” gesture… but not on the screen. The device captures when you touch your thumb with your index fingertip and this may be very useful for some natural interactions. It can come also in handy if the Apple Watch has to become an input system for Apple XR headsets…
 
 PS A final piece of news is that Epic is evaluating native support for Vision Pro for its Unreal Engine!

More info (Apple Vision Pro still on track)
More info (iPhone and iPad apps should run on Vision Pro)
More info (Some famous games could run on Vision Pro)
More info (iPhone 15 Pro can record spatial videos — Road To VR)
More info (iPhone 15 Pro can record spatial videos — Upload VR)
More info (AirPods Pro can work with Vision Pro)
More info (Apple Watch to support double-tap)
More info (Unreal Engine could support Vision Pro)

May Valve launch a headset with a mini-PC?

There is an interesting rumor going around in the community about the upcoming new Valve VR headset and of course, it has been revealed by the usual Brad Lynch. We all know that Valve is working on a VR headset, of course with its usual Valve Time, and that it is codenamed Deckard. We always imagined it to be a standalone headset, and this is still a valid theory, but a new one has surfaced recently.
 
 According to this new idea, Valve may not launch a standalone device, but a wireless headset wirelessly connected to a PC console. It took me a while to understand this idea, so let me explain it better: it is like Valve launching something like PS5+PSVR2, but instead of the PS5 there is a dedicated PC running Steam, and instead of the tethered PSVR2 there is a wireless headset.
 
 On one side this would make a lot of sense: Valve could still sell games on Steam (and exploit its existing VR content library), would still work on PC (without the need of migrating to Android), and could go on proposing amazing VR games without compromising in quality. Furthermore, the system could be portable since it would consist only of a headset and a mini-PC. On the other side, I’m afraid such a system could be expensive, and also less practical to be used and ported around by the users. Going standalone would mean Valve to start from scratch with VR content, but also on PC there is not a high number of good VR games. I’m afraid this system would just conquer the heart of people already having a PCVR setup, but wouldn’t help VR in becoming more mainstream.
 
 I don’t know what Valve is working on, but for sure this sounds like a fascinating hypothesis.

More info

News worth a mention

DPVR launches P2 professional headset

DPVR has just launched its new “P2 enterprise VR headset. It is a 3DOF headset (I remind you that 3DOF headsets have still many applications in the enterprise world) that features some pretty unique capabilities. It has swappable batteries and can even run directly plugged into the DC outlet. It can work with an SD card and save data on it in an encrypted way, a feature that is relevant for fields like healthcare and education. It can work together with P2’s TWS earbuds, which come with active noise-cancellation technology.
 
 Besides that, DPVR also offers a customization service, so bundles of more than 100 headsets can be customized with the desired color, packaging, and logo, with customizations also allowed on the software side.
 
 It seems to me an interesting solution for a certain sector of the VR market.

More info

Quest update v57 brings some improvements and some headaches

The new runtime of the Quest is coming with a few nice updates, like more customizations for the avatars and the ability to disable the Guardian in some mixed-reality apps. But it is also ruining the UI with the substitution of the Explore tab, through which the user could find new games, with the “Horizon Feed” tab, which will focus on promoting Horizon Worlds worlds no one cares about. I wonder why Meta keeps changing so frequently the UI of its main menu and why it always makes a mess with the user experience…

More info (Quest v57 update)
More info (Road To VR complaining about the user experience of the Quest UI)

Horizon Worlds avatars have now legs, but…

Finally, Meta has rolled out the update that gives legs to Horizon Worlds avatars… so now you can see the legs of the other players, for a more natural experience. I went to see a video of them on Reddit, but to be honest they look a bit weird to me…

More info (Meta Horizon Worlds now features avatar legs)
More info (A video of the new avatars on Meta Horizon Worlds)

RIP Bogo

Together with the huge Unity shitstorm, we had also an internal VR mini-drama because Meta is discontinuing Bogo. The community reacted pretty badly to this piece of news because Bogo was one of the first experiences we all played on Quest, many kids loved it, and also some friends of mine found it very cute.
 
 The reason for this choice is simple: the team that made the experience is not part of Meta anymore and keeping the experience compatible with the new OS versions is a problem for Meta, that is so discontinuing the application. And for the same reason, Meta has also discontinued Dead And Buried and Dead And Buried 2.
 
 RIP Cute friend.

More info (Meta discontinuing Bogo)
More info (Why Bogo is being discontinued)
More info (Dead And Buried 1 & 2 discontinued)

RIP Wikitude

Talking about pieces of software that are part of our XR history and that are shutting down, I have to inform you that also Wikitude is sunsetting all its services. The company was acquired some years ago by Qualcomm and has stated that now will focus on shaping the future of Extended Reality… so I guess the team is now helping Qualcomm in building Snapdragon Spaces.
 
 Regarding the times of the shutdown operation, this is what Wikitude claims:
 The End-Of-Sales (EOS) will happen on the 21.09.2023, which means that no new purchases or subscription renewals are possible from this date onward. The End-Of-Life (EOL) will occur 12 months after, on the 21.09.2024, when all Wikitude services will be shut down and stored data will be deleted.

More info

Some cool opportunities about VR games

This week I’ve found these interesting offers about VR games you may be interested in:

• The game Grapple Tournament, previously priced at $20, is now completely free!
• Someone managed to buy Vail for only $2
• There is a new VR mod for Portal 2… and now there is a bundle featuring Portal and Portal 2 for only $1.50 on Steam!
• Lubos and Teem Beef have collaborated to port Prey to virtual reality! The porting is currently available for Quest and Pico headsets

More info (Grapple Tournament is free)
More info (Vail at $2)
More info (Prey VR trailer)
More info (Portal 2 mod)
More info (Prey VR mod available)

Some info about VR content

• Fast Travel Games has unveiled Mannequin, an asymmetric hide-and-seek VR game. Its trailer is very cool and I suggest you to watch it
• STRIDE: Fates is coming as a separate game from STRIDE, and is going to bring not only a story, but also many improvements over the original game. It is coming before the end of the year for Quest, and then later for the other platforms
• Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord is reaching PSVR 2 and Meta Quest on October 26 for $35
• Capcom released a new trailer for the VR Mode for Resident Evil 4 Remake. The update featuring the VR addition will arrive “this winter”
• Meta’s Sanzaru games has detailed Asgard’s Wrath 2’s asynchronous ‘Uncharted Rifts’ dungeon-crawling mode
• Demeo Battles, the PvP version of Demeo is launching on November 9th on PC and VR headsets. You can pre-order the game now on Quest for $20
• Warplanes: Air Corp is now available on App Lab for €15
• Twistex, a game that brings an interesting variant to Tetris, is now available for Quest for €15
• NFL Pro Era 2 arrives on September 28 on the Meta Quest platform and SteamVR for $30
• Arashi: Castles of Sin — Final Cut will release on November 16 for PSVR, Quest, and PCVR

More info (Mannequin)
More info (STRIDE: Fates)
More info (Ghostbusters: rise of the ghost lord)
More info (Resident Evil 4 Remake)
More info (Asgard’s Wrath 2)
More info (Demeo Battles)
More info (Warplanes: Air Corp)
More info (Twistex)
More info (NFL Pro Era 2)
More info (Arashi: Castles Of Sin — Final Cut)

Some reviews about VR content

• Upload VR had an initial preview of the 4-vs-1 multiplayer horror action game Inverse and found it nice
• Outta Hand was to Upload the best VR game of Gamescom 2023. It is a platformer that improves the movements of Gorilla Tag and has a very fancy visual style
• Behind The Frame VR features a strong narrative component, but it is hindered by too many technical bugs and design issues.

More info (Inverse)
More info (Outta Hand)
More info (Behind The Frame VR)

Other news

There’s a VR application on Steam that is specific for people who like to sleep in VR

Learn more

Horizon Worlds is planning to launch on iOS, too

Learn more

According to a job description, the upcoming PlayStation version of Roblox may support VR

Learn more

Baidu and Qualcomm partner in China for the development of the metaverse

Learn more

User Holmir has written a quite detailed review of the Bigscreen Beyond headset

Learn more

A new rumor claims that the upcoming Samsung XR headset supports smell emission, but I find it improbable

Learn more

News from partners (and friends)

ArborXR’s XR Directory

ArborXR has just launched its XR Directory, a place where you can find a list of reliable developer studios for XR content. It includes both companies that provide established off-the-shelf XR solutions and companies that can create bespoke XR content for 3rd parties. If you are an enterprise looking for a reliable XR partner, this is a good place to start from!
Learn more

Some XR fun

The community has created many memes about the Unity affair… let me share a few with you!

Funny link / 1
Funny link / 2
Funny link / 3
Funny link / 4

Sometimes a grammar error may have an unintended meaning…
Funny link

A classic meme about VR
Funny link

Donate for good

Like last week, also this week in this final paragraph I won’t ask you to donate for my blog, but to the poor people that are facing the consequences of the war. Please donate to the Red Cross to handle the current humanitarian situation in Ukraine. I will leave you the link to do that below.
 
 Let me take a moment before to thank anyway all my Patreon donors for the support they give to me:

• Alex Gonzalez VR
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And now here you are the link to donate:

Support The Red Cross in Ukraine

(Header image by UploadVR)